US5688333A - Method of bulk washing and drying of discrete components - Google Patents

Method of bulk washing and drying of discrete components Download PDF

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Publication number
US5688333A
US5688333A US08/579,651 US57965195A US5688333A US 5688333 A US5688333 A US 5688333A US 57965195 A US57965195 A US 57965195A US 5688333 A US5688333 A US 5688333A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
components
solid substance
cleaning liquid
drying
wet
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Fee Related
Application number
US08/579,651
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English (en)
Inventor
Peter J.E. Schelwald
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US Philips Corp
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US Philips Corp
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Publication date
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Assigned to U.S. PHILIPS CORPORATION reassignment U.S. PHILIPS CORPORATION ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: SCHELWALD, PETER J.E.
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    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F26—DRYING
    • F26B—DRYING SOLID MATERIALS OR OBJECTS BY REMOVING LIQUID THEREFROM
    • F26B5/00—Drying solid materials or objects by processes not involving the application of heat
    • F26B5/04—Drying solid materials or objects by processes not involving the application of heat by evaporation or sublimation of moisture under reduced pressure, e.g. in a vacuum
    • F26B5/06—Drying solid materials or objects by processes not involving the application of heat by evaporation or sublimation of moisture under reduced pressure, e.g. in a vacuum the process involving freezing
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B08—CLEANING
    • B08B—CLEANING IN GENERAL; PREVENTION OF FOULING IN GENERAL
    • B08B3/00—Cleaning by methods involving the use or presence of liquid or steam
    • B08B3/04—Cleaning involving contact with liquid
    • B08B3/10—Cleaning involving contact with liquid with additional treatment of the liquid or of the object being cleaned, e.g. by heat, by electricity or by vibration
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B08—CLEANING
    • B08B—CLEANING IN GENERAL; PREVENTION OF FOULING IN GENERAL
    • B08B7/00—Cleaning by methods not provided for in a single other subclass or a single group in this subclass
    • B08B7/0064—Cleaning by methods not provided for in a single other subclass or a single group in this subclass by temperature changes
    • B08B7/0092—Cleaning by methods not provided for in a single other subclass or a single group in this subclass by temperature changes by cooling

Definitions

  • the invention relates to a method of bulk washing and drying of discrete components.
  • Discrete components are components which are used individually. These are components such as ceramic substrates, capacitors, resistors, or semiconductor crystals. These components in practice undergo many treatments such as, for example, polishing or etching. After many such treatments, the discrete components are to be divested of the (liquid) substances which were used during the treatments. It is accordingly usual in many stages of manufacture to wash the components with a cleaning liquid and subsequently dry the wet components and process them further. The discrete components are treated in bulk, i.e. the components are treated without spacers as a mass commodity.
  • the invention has for its object inter alia to provide a method of washing and drying discrete components whereby the components do not stick together after drying, while no organic solvents are necessary.
  • the method is for this purpose characterized in that the components are washed with a cleaning liquid and the wet components are dried in a freeze-drying process in that the wet components are brought to a temperature below the melting point of the cleaning liquid, so that the cleaning liquid becomes a solid substance, and in that the solid substance is evaporated through introduction of the components and the solid substance into a space having a pressure lower than the vapour pressure of the solid substance.
  • water is preferably used as the cleaning liquid.
  • Water is harmless to the environment, cheap and readily available, while the melting point and vapour pressure of water render it highly suitable for freeze-drying.
  • the water is not evaporated but driven away through the use of an organic solvent, for example acetone, as a water repellent.
  • the solvent evaporates so quickly that capillary forces play a minor role.
  • the surface structure of the component changes owing to the use of the solvent.
  • Other molecular groups will then be present at the surface of the component compared with the situation in which water only is used. This influences the adhesion between the components.
  • a solid substance such as ice is present between the components during evaporation.
  • the solid substance evaporates along the edges to the surroundings, but the components remain at a comparatively large distance from one another, separated by the non-evaporated solid substance.
  • the components are not drawn towards one another by capillary forces, while in addition the solid substance can evaporate better owing to the permanent, comparatively great distance between the components than in the known method where the edges become ever narrower owing to capillary forces.
  • the method may be used with comparatively small discrete components having dimensions below approximately 0.5 mm. Sticking together after drying occurs particularly with small discrete components.
  • the method is used for components which are provided with at least one plane surface.
  • a plane surface is understood to mean here a surface having an out-of-flatness smaller than approximately 30 ⁇ m. Sticking together also often occurs with larger discrete components having plane surfaces because the wet components orient themselves owing to capillary forces such that their plane surfaces run parallel, a film of the cleaning liquid being present between two plane surfaces.
  • the cleaning liquid will evaporate along an edge between the plane surfaces which is in connection with the surroundings.
  • the plane surfaces are then drawn together increasingly as more cleaning liquid evaporates. The surfaces accordingly stick together through adhesion.
  • non-evaporated solid substance provides a comparatively wide separation between the components.
  • the pressure in the space lies between 500 and 1 Pa, so-called rough vacuum.
  • a pressure of 10 Pa (0.1 mbar) is satisfactory.
  • Such a pressure is sufficiently low for enabling a comparatively quick evaporation of, for example, ice, while this pressure can be realised in a comparatively simple and inexpensive manner by means of a so-called preliminary vacuum pump.
  • a so-called Roots blower may be used as the preliminary vacuum pump.
  • Such a pump has a comparatively high pumping speed, so that large quantities of vapour can be discharged, if necessary.
  • the evaporation of the solid substance removes so much heat from the components that the temperature of the components drops to a point where the evaporation becomes very slow.
  • the components are heated during evaporation of the solid substance.
  • the components and the ice are preferably heated to a temperature of approximately -10° C. in order to realise a quick evaporation of the ice.
  • FIGURE shows components which are dried by the method according to the invention.
  • FIGURE is purely diagrammatic and not drawn to scale.
  • the components are provided in bulk, i.e. they are tipped as a bulk commodity into a common holder for many components 1 without spacers, racks or the like.
  • the wet components 1 are dried in a freeze-drying process in that the wet components are brought to a temperature below 0° C., so that ice 5 is formed, after which the ice 5 is evaporated.
  • the ice 5 is evaporated in that the wet components 1 are introduced into a space having a pressure lower than the vapour pressure of water at 0° C. (approximately 600 Pa); in the present example a few hundred thousand such semiconductor diode crystals are brought into the space.
  • the space is in connection with a so-called preliminary vacuum pump, a Roots blower, which brings the pressure in the space to approximately 10 Pa (0.1 mbar), so-called rough vacuum.
  • This causes ice of the crystals to evaporate.
  • the removal of evaporation heat from the components 1 causes the temperature of the components to fall as low as -50° C.
  • the evaporation of the ice 5 becomes very slow at such a low temperature.
  • the components are heated to a temperature of approximately -10° C. in order to realise a quick evaporation of the ice 5.
  • the components and the ice are for this purpose placed on a heater plate which is held at a temperature of approximately 30° C.
  • the FIGURE shows components 1 which have so oriented themselves relative to one another as wet components 1 that a water film has formed between the surfaces 3, 4 owing to capillary forces.
  • ice 5 will be present between the plane surfaces 3, 4.
  • the ice 5 evaporates along the open edges 6 which are in communication with the surroundings, in this case the space at a reduced pressure of 10 Pa.
  • the open edge 6 moves from position 6' to position 6".
  • the wet discrete components may also be freeze-dried in the case of other cleaning liquids. Standard freeze-drying processes and equipment may be used for freezing-in of the wet discrete components and for evaporating the ice.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Molecular Biology (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Cleaning Or Drying Semiconductors (AREA)
  • Drying Of Solid Materials (AREA)
US08/579,651 1994-12-27 1995-12-27 Method of bulk washing and drying of discrete components Expired - Fee Related US5688333A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP94203765 1994-12-27
EP94203765 1994-12-27

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US5688333A true US5688333A (en) 1997-11-18

Family

ID=8217498

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US08/579,651 Expired - Fee Related US5688333A (en) 1994-12-27 1995-12-27 Method of bulk washing and drying of discrete components

Country Status (8)

Country Link
US (1) US5688333A (fr)
EP (1) EP0755307B1 (fr)
JP (1) JPH09509889A (fr)
KR (1) KR100389751B1 (fr)
DE (1) DE69505243T2 (fr)
MY (1) MY131764A (fr)
TW (1) TW287296B (fr)
WO (1) WO1996020048A1 (fr)

Citations (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3259991A (en) * 1965-01-07 1966-07-12 Abbott Lab Freeze drying method and apparatus
US3264747A (en) * 1964-05-13 1966-08-09 Pennsalt Chemical Corp Method and apparatus for continuous freeze drying
US3728798A (en) * 1970-08-25 1973-04-24 G Wehrmann Bulk freeze-drying apparatus
US3740860A (en) * 1972-07-31 1973-06-26 Smitherm Industries Freeze drying method and apparatus
US4409034A (en) * 1981-11-24 1983-10-11 Mobile Companies, Inc. Cryogenic cleaning process
US4871417A (en) * 1986-07-04 1989-10-03 Dainippon Screen Mfg. Co., Ltd. Method and apparatus for surface treating of substrates
US4962776A (en) * 1987-03-26 1990-10-16 Regents Of The University Of Minnesota Process for surface and fluid cleaning
US4977688A (en) * 1989-10-27 1990-12-18 Semifab Incorporated Vapor device and method for drying articles such as semiconductor wafers with substances such as isopropyl alcohol
JPH06224116A (ja) * 1993-01-28 1994-08-12 Nec Corp レジスト現像方法
US5505007A (en) * 1993-12-24 1996-04-09 Daimler-Benz Aerospace Airbus Gmbh Method for drying structural components made of fiber reinforced plastic materials

Family Cites Families (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CH542415A (fr) * 1971-09-30 1973-09-30 Nestle Sa Installation de cryodessiccation
JPH084063B2 (ja) * 1986-12-17 1996-01-17 富士通株式会社 半導体基板の保存方法

Patent Citations (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3264747A (en) * 1964-05-13 1966-08-09 Pennsalt Chemical Corp Method and apparatus for continuous freeze drying
US3259991A (en) * 1965-01-07 1966-07-12 Abbott Lab Freeze drying method and apparatus
US3728798A (en) * 1970-08-25 1973-04-24 G Wehrmann Bulk freeze-drying apparatus
US3740860A (en) * 1972-07-31 1973-06-26 Smitherm Industries Freeze drying method and apparatus
US4409034A (en) * 1981-11-24 1983-10-11 Mobile Companies, Inc. Cryogenic cleaning process
US4871417A (en) * 1986-07-04 1989-10-03 Dainippon Screen Mfg. Co., Ltd. Method and apparatus for surface treating of substrates
US4962776A (en) * 1987-03-26 1990-10-16 Regents Of The University Of Minnesota Process for surface and fluid cleaning
US4977688A (en) * 1989-10-27 1990-12-18 Semifab Incorporated Vapor device and method for drying articles such as semiconductor wafers with substances such as isopropyl alcohol
JPH06224116A (ja) * 1993-01-28 1994-08-12 Nec Corp レジスト現像方法
US5505007A (en) * 1993-12-24 1996-04-09 Daimler-Benz Aerospace Airbus Gmbh Method for drying structural components made of fiber reinforced plastic materials

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
TW287296B (fr) 1996-10-01
WO1996020048A1 (fr) 1996-07-04
KR970701104A (ko) 1997-03-17
EP0755307B1 (fr) 1998-10-07
DE69505243D1 (de) 1998-11-12
MY131764A (en) 2007-08-30
EP0755307A1 (fr) 1997-01-29
DE69505243T2 (de) 1999-05-20
KR100389751B1 (ko) 2003-10-17
JPH09509889A (ja) 1997-10-07

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AS Assignment

Owner name: U.S. PHILIPS CORPORATION, NEW YORK

Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:SCHELWALD, PETER J.E.;REEL/FRAME:007853/0271

Effective date: 19960207

FPAY Fee payment

Year of fee payment: 4

REMI Maintenance fee reminder mailed
LAPS Lapse for failure to pay maintenance fees
STCH Information on status: patent discontinuation

Free format text: PATENT EXPIRED DUE TO NONPAYMENT OF MAINTENANCE FEES UNDER 37 CFR 1.362

FP Lapsed due to failure to pay maintenance fee

Effective date: 20051118